Lean In, a group that advocates for women to achieve their career goals and hold positions of power, has partnered with the Girl Scouts in a new campaign to end the use of the word "bossy." The "Ban Bossy" campaign argues that when young girls assert themselves and are called "bossy," it discourages them from pursuing positions of leadership, and may potentially lead to major self-confidence issues. The campaign has earned endorsements from public figures such as Beyonc?(c) and Condoleezza Rice, but critics wonder whether banning "bossy" may lead to the word holding a more negative connotation, making it more hurtful when used. They also question whether the campaign actually addresses the underlying issues of sexism in the workplace. What do you think about the "Ban Bossy" campaign?

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Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST):

When my older son was in first grade, the kids used to call him "Teacher Calvin." He was (and is) a smart kid, and he liked to tell his classmates how to improve their work. He was, in a word, bossy. But nobody ever called him that, because his gender didn't match the adjective. I'm bossy too: "Teacher Jane." I set deadlines and I stick to them. I expect my students to show up on time, prepared and ready to work. Bossy means taking my job seriously. Can feminists like me find a way to reclaim "bossy"? Writing in The New Yorker, Margaret Talbot argues that we should appropriate the word, making bossy the new queer: a term of in-group pride, a label for women who embrace leadership. Bosses are bossy. And every day, more women become bosses. How about a T-shirt that says, "Yeah, I'm Bossy, Deal with It!"

Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST) is chair of the History department and the Harry S. Truman professor of American Civilization.

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Zuri Gordon '15

I'm sure "Ban Bossy" has the best of intentions but I find it to be problematic. I think Girl Scouts is a cool and radical organization that could create legitimate change for young girls, but Lean In just puts a Venus symbol over capitalism and corporations and calls it feminism, when obviously so many women do not have access to those institutions, or those institutions have failed them. So I think that the kind of feminism that Lean In promotes does more harm than good, and I don't believe that their "Ban Bossy" campaign will be successful. I would be more interested if they pushed for reclaiming words like bossy or at the very least trying to dismantle a cultural inequality that unfairly targets girls and women for being assertive. I definitely understand how "bossy" has negative connotations but I would rather see campaigns allow girls more freedom in how they chose to define themselves rather than restricting them from words.

Zuri Gordon '15 is president of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.

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Joseph Babeu '15

Most advocates in the feminist movement know that the misogyny embedded in our popular culture runs far more deeply than challenging a single term would fix. After all, what does terminology matter if pay is still not equal across genders? However, it is not feasible to expect the entire country to jump from institutionalized sexism to equal pay overnight. Advocates must start with the lowest common denominator-those who may not understand why using "bossy" may have a negative impact on young women, or even those who agree with its use. To make any substantive progress, it is essential that these people be educated on issues of gender discrimination. Furthermore, this education does not begin with a radical push. It begins with advocates meeting people where they are and taking a first step, together. Lean In is taking this first step with "Ban Bossy".

Joseph Babeu '15 works for the Lemberg Children's Center.

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Christa Caggiano '17

I love Beyonc?(c). She is an excellent performer and an ultra-successful businesswoman, and I think deep down, all Americans want to be just a bit like her. So, when Beyonc?(c) joins a campaign like Ban Bossy, people pay attention. Average Americans see Beyonc?(c)'s video campaign and then share it on Facebook or email it to their nieces. These are people who have no reason to think about feminist theory in their daily lives, who are now thinking about why there are not that many female leaders, or why they call their daughters "pretty" but not "smart." In my opinion, this discourse is infinitely more important than actually banning the word bossy. I think this campaign is about changing the tide of our culture, forcing people to really think and talk about the role women play in leadership, and not necessarily about altering the modern lexicon. If it takes a sassy Beyonc?(c) in a viral video to make people have those conversations, I am completely okay with that.

Christa Caggiano '17 is a student scholarship partner at the Women's Studies Research Center.